Clutch mechanism for phonographs.



H. A. PREUSS.

CLUTCH MEcHANlsM FOR PHoNoGRAPHs.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. 1914.

' Patented July 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. A. PREUSS.

CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 28, I9I4.

1,145,793. Patented July 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNrTED s'rA'rEs PATENT oFFICE.

HENRY AUGUST PREUSS, F HAMBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR 0F FORTY ONE- HUNDREDTHS T0 FRANCISCO VILMAR, 0F RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL.

CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

l Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, '1915.

' Application filed January 28, 19.14. Serial No. 815,056.

To all whom lfmag/ concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY AUGUST PREUss, a citizen and resident of Hamburg, Germany, have invented a'new -and useful Clutch Mechanism for I Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relatesto a device for starting a gramophone, `which operates inconnection with an automatic piano or another instrument or the like. In apparatus of thisdescription itaris of great importance that the gramophone should commence at 4normal vrunning speed so as to secure accu- .rate agree-ment ofthe smging or speaking of the gramophone with the accompamment.

ofthe piano. Heretoforei-t has been found veryinconvenient, that the gramophones always start slowly and that the desired speed 'is not attained until a certain space of time has lapsed. For this reason there is a long dummy line in the beginning of the record or phonic line of the gramophone disk, but it is .found very diiicult in allowing the gramophone to play together with other instruments to make use of this foreline insuch manner, that the reproduction com'- mences at the proper moment. This diiiiculty is completely done away with by the present invention. The carrier for the record plate is not directly attached to the driving shaft, but is brought in operative connection therewith, when the shaft has obcoupling diskand adapted to be slid on the tained the lrequisite speed, while-,contrary to the arrangements known heretofore the driving mechanism when startingy to run is out of connection with the record carrier,

but secures a proper and instantaneous start:

in of the carrier at the desired moment.

Vith this object in view the carrier diskfor the-record plate is attached to a hollow boss or socket movablein a longitudinal direction, -carrying at its lower end a special driving shaft. The counter coupling disk is attached to the drivlng shaft and the first named coupling disk, can be raised together with the hollow boss land the carrier for the 'record plate. When these devlces forming together a coherent body are lowered which should be done not before vthe shaft has attained its full speed, the record plate will start at lonce with its requisite speed. In

combination with this devlce special liftingA means will be employed for raising the said coherent body. In its raised position the spring is held by a pawl, which at proper time releases the lifting piece and allows the said body to quickly descend. If so desired the pawl may be brought in connection with a pneumatic or other moving means to allow the release to take place automatically or from any desired distance.

Figure 1 of the ,drawing is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a detail of the apparatus in elevation, and Fig. 4 a plan of the record plate. Fig.v5 is a similar view to Fig. l, showing a modification of the device shown'in Fig. 3.

In the top plate a of the gramophone casing or-cover of an automatic piano or the like a vertical boss Llis journaled to which a couplingdisk c is attached at its lower .boss b lis similarly shaped thus securing a good guide of the boss on the uppermost end of the shaft f as well as on a point somewhat lower down that is to say on-the shoulder h.

lo -the shaft f the counter coupling disk i is firmly attached and the upper surface of this dlsk is provided with cloth or fabric to increase the friction when contacting with the disk c. This last named disk is provided wlthcloth on ltslowersurface as well as on the upper surface, and Aalso the top a is on its lower surface` provided with" cloth or other fabric. When the disk c is in itsupper position as shown in Fig. 1) itis held against rotation but it will rotate'Y at the speed of the shaft f when lowered so` as to allow the diskv o to contact with the disk i which at onceq carries it around.

The disks d and e together with the shaft b and disk c arepheld in their upper posi-` tion by `a lifting piece le arranged on the lever m pivotedI to the cover-d by the pin m. The lifting piece lc is preferablyY bifurcated, and the prongs k1 thereof have a sloping surface to engage rollers 0-attached to the fr ee end of a spring` arm vo secured at its opposite end 2 tothe casing a. The arm p is further provided with an opening 3 1 latter normally engaging a shoulder b1 of the body c, b, d. The spring normally tends to keep the table d raised, but is of a strength inferior to the weight of the same so as not to interfere with the descent of the table. In descending, however, the spring p exercises a cushioning effect on the table, and in raising assists the table to' respond readily to the application of the cams k1. The lever m is provided with a handle m1 to move the same, when the lifting piece 7c is to be moved so as-to catch 'below the rollers and to raise the coupling disk c from the counter coupling disk i. The coupling disk c is held in this raised position by the lifting piece 7c, the lever m carrying the lifting piece cbeing held itself in this position by a pawl g which is also provided with a handle in such manner, that by depressing (the handle Q1 the release is effected. The pawl g is acted upon by a spring r to prevent an untimely release.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the pawl g is brought in connection with an automatic releasing piece consisting of-a small cylinder s and piston t connected with the prolongation g2 of the pawl g by a lateral arm. Then air is sucked out of the' cylinder s for instance, when a perforation in the music band of an automatic piano passes the tracker board, as is well known in instruments of this description and therefore needs no special illustration, the piston t is moved downward. Such movement will be transmitted to the pawl q in such manner as to release the lever 'm and the spring n will consequently move the lever m in such manner as to withdraw-the lifting piece c from under the rollers 0. At the same time the boss or shaft b together with a carrier disk cl and coupling disk c is lowered and the latter will at once'be taken around by the counter coupling disk z' and the reproduction of the gramophone will at once commence. Should it be desired to make use of air pressure in the pneumatic cylinder instead of sucking air from the same, the pawl g will have to be so arranged as to engage the lever m from below instead of from above.

In producing the record plate e, Fig. 4, that is to say in recording the usual foreline will be omitted. It is however preferable to make use of a small'notch fv which is connected with the record line m by a short but suitably deep furrow( This notch e together with the furrow w serves for properlylpositioning the needle when starting the gramophone.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, a continuouslydriven 'shaft journaled vertically in said casing, a clutch element mounted to rotate with said shaft, a second clutch element arclutch element journaled for vertical move-` ment in said casing coaxial with said firstnamed shaft and adapted to descend by gravity to permit engagement of said clutch elements, and means for raising said stub shaft to disengage said clutch elements comprising a projection associated with said stub shaft, a lever pivoted on said casing, and a cam secured to said lever and adapted to engage said projection when the lever is moved and raise saidv stub shaft.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, a continuouslydriven shaft journaled vertically in said casing` a clutch element mounted to rotate with said shaft, a second clutch element arranged to cooperate with said first-named element, a stub shaft carrying said second clutch element journaled for vertical movement in said casing coaxial with said firstnamed shaft and adapted to descend by gravity to permit engagement of said clutch elements, and means for raising said stub shaft to disengage said clutch elements comprising a pair of rollers associated with said stub shaft, a lever pivoted to said casing. and a pair of cams secured to said lever and adapted to engage said pair of rollers when the lever is moved and raise said stub shaft.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a easing. a continuouslydriven shaft journaled vertically in said casing, a clutch element mounted to rotate with said shaft, a second clutch element arranged to cooperate with said first-named element, a stub shaft carrying said second clutch element journaled for vertical movement in said casing coaxial with said firstnamed shaft and adapted to descend by gravity to permit engagement of said clutch elements comprising a spring associated with said stub shaft and arranged to be compressed when said shaft descends, a pair of rollers projecting from said spring, a lever pivoted to said casing, and a pair of cams secured to said lever and adapted to engage said pair of rollers when the lever is moved and raise said stub shaft.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, a continuouslydriven shaft journaled vertically in said casing, a clutch element mounted to rotate with said shaft, a second clutch element arranged to coperate with said first-named element, a stub shaft carrying said second clutch element journaled for vertical movement in said casing coaxial with said firstnamed shaft and adapted to descend by gravity to permit engagement of said clutch elements, a spring associated with said stub 'shaft and arranged to be compressed when ing from said spring, a lever pivoted to said casing, a pair of cams secured to said lever and adapted to engage said pair of rollers when the lever is moved and raise said stub shaft to disengage said clutch elements, a spring `for moving said lever to` disengage said cams and rollers and permit the stub shaft to descend, and means for yieldingly confining said lever in position to engagel said cams and rollers.

5. In a, device of the character descrlbed, the combination of a casing, a continuously rotating drive shaft journaled vertically in said` casing, a vclutch element mounted to rotate With said drive shaft, a stub shaft journaled for vertical movement in the top of said casing and in axial alinement With,

said drive shaft, a clutch element mounted to rotate With said stub shaft, a flat spring secured at o ne end to the upper face of said 4casing and provided at its free end with a perforation for engaging over said stub shaft, a removable element mounted on said stub shaft and providingftherewith la shoulder against which the free end of said spring is adapted to abut, a pair of rollers projectingin a horizontal plane from diametrically opposite points of said spring, a

lever pivoted on the top of said casing for horizontal movement, a bifurcated block secured to said lever, a cam .mounted on each fork of said bifurcated block and arranged to engage said rollers when the lever is moved in one direction Wherebyto raise said stub shaft and disengage said clutch elements, a spring normally tending to move said lever to disengage said cams and rollers and permit the stub shaft to descend and engage said clutch elements, and means for 3" holding said lever in the position to effect engagement of said cams and rollers, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing, a continuously 'rotating driv shaft journaled vertically in said casing, asL clutch element mounted to rotate With said drive shaft, a stub shaft journaled for verticalmovement in the top of said casing and in axial alinement with the drive shaft, a second clutch element car- 'ried by said stub shaft and arranged to engage said first-named clutch element When the stub shaft is moved in one direction, a fiat spring mounted at one end in the upper face of said casing and provided at its free end With an elongated perforation arranged to engage over said stub shaft, a phonographic table removably mounted on said stub shaft and forming therewith a shoulder againstwhich the flat spring is adapted to abut, a pair of rollers mounted on the free end of said fiat spring and projecting at substantially diametrically opposite points With respect to the stub shaft, a lever pivoted on the top of said casing for horizontal movement, a bifurcated block carried by said lever, a cam mounted on each fork of said bifurcated block and arranged to engage the rollers projecting from said fiat spring whereby to raise said stub shaft and disconnect the clutch elements, a coil spring mounted on the top of said casing and adapted to normally move said lever to disengage said cams and rollers and permit the stub shaft to descend, a slotted guide for said lever mounted on the upper face of said casing and arranged to limit the movement thereof in either direction, a pivoted keeper associated With said guide and adapted to hold said lever in position to effect engagement of said 'cams and rollers, and means for tripping said keeper to release the lever, substantially as described.

HENRY AUGUST PREUSS. 

